Odeon Acton

3 King Street,

Acton,
London, W3 9LA

1 person favorited this theater

Located in the west London district of Acton. Built as one of the original Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd., it opened on 8th November 1937 with Leslie Banks in “Farewell Again”.

Noted cinema architect George Coles designed this modern Art Deco style cinema which had a rather plain flat facade covered in cream faiance tiles, relieved only by a set of windows above the canopy and ridged tiles along the top. The main feature was a stylish tower which rose to the left of the facade that had the name ODEON letters set into open curved bands.

Inside the auditorium seating was provided for 1,230 in the stalls and 640 in the balcony. It was illuminated by two narrow stips of linear lights set into the ceiling and a long linear light on each side wall. On the side walls at each side of the proscenium there was a large round circular feature that was backlit.

The Odeon led an uneventful life and ended up being the last cinema to operate in Acton when it closed on 18th October 1975 with Lynn Redgrave in “The Happy Hooker” and Ann Todd in “The Fiend”. The building was converted into a B & Q DIY store (home improvements). It eventually closed and the former Odeon was demolished in 1988 and a Safeway Supermarket was built on the site. This is now a W.M. Morrison supermarket.

Contributed by KenRoe

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

KenRoe on May 19, 2006 at 12:32 am

A photograph of the Odeon in the early 1970’s (possibly 1971). Unfortunately, only a small lower portion of the tower feature on the upper left of the building can be seen:
View link

KenRoe on May 20, 2006 at 4:06 am

A view of King Street, from the High Street in December 1953. Again not showing the tower feature on the facade of the Odeon. Postcard issued by London Borough of Ealing, Local History Series in 1994:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/149782451/